Kumbodake Session

Well the weather was nice, snow was nice, light was nice...I guess everything was nice! We decided to sled up Kumbodake and help the Nimbus guys get some shots. The weather ended up being amazing and the sun stuck around all day (a very rare thing in Japan). What better way to spend the sunny day than by building ramps of snow to defy gravity and huck into the snow? I surely can't think of one.

One of the jumps

Andy cheesin with Yotei in the background and Tatsuya GTSing

Kumbodake with the sleds NOT intentionally modeled for this picture

First Sunny Day in January

Well the sun came out today and stayed out for the first time so far in January. We got on top of Kumbodake and snapped this picture quickly.

The Nimbus guys built some jumps and got pretty good shots. All in all a pretty good day weather wise and definitely set up some plans for the future!

Mt Yotei version 4.0

Well today was my fourth trip up Mt Yotei. We took an incredibly strong group up who kept their strength the whole trip even in the face of penetrating 80+ mph winds. It was hard to keep the group optimistic in the cold temperatures and piercing wind, but when we reached the top and saw ourselves above the clouds in a perfect 360 degree view, it was time for a moment of glory. The snow on the way down was the best I had skied on Yotei and the gully gave us some awesome turns.

Trees on the way down

No Words to Describe

January has been a very gratuitous month for snow. It's hard to distinguish the best days when they are all truly amazing. However, yesterday is definitely one for the memory banks.

There's a hidden gem behind Niseko that doesn't get much attention from foreigners (perhaps why it's so good). It's a small resort that smells like rotten eggs (also great for driving crowds away) and isn't very steep. Sounds awesome right?! Well the snow is deep and the pitches that are steep are the pillowy heaven you dream about when you think Japan snow. Don't believe me? That's fine, pictures say a lot more than I could ever hope to blog about.

And after all this you get to sit in the majestically surrounded onsen. Pure mineral water straight from the geographically blessed island of Hokkaido famous for the serene, peacefully, and warmfully inviting bathes after a serious ski session. I think I've said enough for today.  

And So it Begins...

Another season at the Black Diamond Lodge, another season of pow. Hokkaido is well on its way to setting snowfall records this winter and those of us that are skiers are here to reap the benefits. Things have been a little busy around this time as the film crews start to arrive and we search for new exciting areas of which to huck ourselves off.

Here are some photos of Rusutsu courtesy of a very kind and talented Mark Whallen and a video from a backcountry day that I took with Stu Anderson in the Goshiki Onsen area.

Video- Backcountry Skiing Japan

I'll look to update more as I get a bit more time and footage!

Some Japan footage

I recently made a little edit of some stuff from my SD card conveniently placed in my go pro all season. As much as I hate all POV edits, I tried to keep it to a minimum. Enjoy:


Japan re-edit

Final Words From Japan

Even as I sit in LA writing this I can’t believe I am back in the US. It seems it was last week that I arrived to the Black Diamond Lodge and met the guys for the very first time. Although winter isn’t quite yet over for me, I know the inevitable end of top to bottom snow for the year is quickly approaching.

I have been fortunate enough to see a vast amount of Japan. Not only was the domestic travel in Japan amazing, but it couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time for the country. It was surely different that I didn’t get to experience the bright lights and constant flashing of Tokyo that most people do because of the effort to save energy, however it was not at all disappointing. While the news coverage may have died down along with the imagined apocalyptic threats, it allowed me to see a side of Japan that not many foreigners will ever see: a nationwide, compassionate, empathetic understanding for the suffering of others. Tokyo was truly remarkable. It seemed everyone shared some sort of determination to help assuage the problems of countless people whom have not only lost their possessions, but people close to them as well. The dire reality of the situation is tens of thousands of people have lost their lives. In all of the major spots I walked around Tokyo there were people with earthquake relief donation stands. Even after donating to four or five stands, I found it impossible to pass by a group of five little girls singing a Japanese song I couldn’t even understand.

 To step away from the touchy-feely stuff, I had a pretty kick-ass season. The snow in January probably topped any month I have ever had skiing. There wasn’t a day that it didn’t at least snow a few inches, not to mention the two days where it snowed seven feet or so. Thank you to everyone who helped me experience such an amazing country. Whether it was grabbing me a beer, putting me up for the night, or even just giving advice. I appreciate it all and will try my best to return the favor. I look forward to the next time I am able to go to the land of the rising sun and simultaneously, the falling snow. Although sometimes it can be difficult with a bit of animosity towards foreigners and a distinctive language barrier, I found far more experiences of over-the-top kindness that outweighed the difficulty. On one specific account, I asked a man who was obviously on his way somewhere just the direction of the bus. He proceeded to walk fifteen minutes presumably out of his way with me just to assure I got to where I needed to go. I wouldn’t have been so shocked if it was a one-time occurrence, but there are countless examples of the latter throughout my trip. I am still uploading videos and pictures from my trip and hope to post them soon. I just hope that if there is anything you can spare Japan does need your help. The reality of the situation is many people are still without comfort in their lives and don’t deserve the cards of fate nature has dealt them. If you want to know how to donate or act in some way just ask me. I am working on a video to try to inform a way to distribute donations to necessary areas and highlight the beautiful parts I saw in Japan. So for now, I will see you out and about in the US. However I can’t promise it will forever be where I shall reside.